Sparks
Official Disclaimer: Transformers not mine.
Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews. Here's the next chapter...the calm before the storm, so to speak. Don't be scared off by the chapter title, this isn't turning into an Optimus romance fic yet (and at this rate, it's probably not going to).
- Chapter Seven: Kinky Robot Sex and Annoying Little Irritants -
Alex woke to music, and rubbed her eyes groggily, aware that Optimus was actually waking her up this morning. She somehow managed to pull herself into the front seat, where she sat blinking owlishly in the morning sunlight.
"Buh?" she asked intelligently after a moment.
"Elizabeth seems distressed." Optimus said, turning off the radio.
"Huhn?" Alex blinked at the radio.
"Sensors." Optimus somehow knew exactly what Alex had meant to ask. The sleepy human mumbled something incoherent, and then stumbled out of the truck and into the house. Not seeing her sister on the main floor, she stumbled upstairs, first heading for Beth's room, but blinking as she realized the door was open and no-one was inside. She turned to her room and saw the door partially closed, and remembered leaving it open the night before. With a frown, she pushed the door open a bit, and saw Beth sitting on her bed, knees drawn up to her chest, staring and the locket, letter, and ring sitting on the bed in front of her. Sleepiness vanished from Alex as she sighed, then opened the door the rest of the way, stepping inside. Beth looked up.
"Is it really more comfortable?" she asked, and Alex hesitated.
"To me." she finally replied. "It was...really weird to think of you not being here and, well..." Alex glanced down at the objects on her bed, leaving the rest unsaid. Beth nodded, understanding. She'd seen how her sister had taken to Josh like she hadn't with any of Beth's previous boyfriends - it was what had told her that this was it, she'd found him. Alex had always been her litmus test for her boyfriends - first just to hear what her sister had to say after meeting them, then after that disastrous encounter with Robert, to see if she had enough confidence in them to even let them meet her sister.
"Thanks for..." Beth motioned to the things on the bed.
"I didn't even find the note 'till last night." Alex said with an embarrassed shrug. "He left it on my bed. The locket came from the jewelers where he bought the ring, once they found out what had happened."
"Oh." Beth said after a moment. "And...the ring?"
"Bobby gave it to me." Alex said, not feeling the need to go into detail. Beth could draw her own conclusions about how and where Bobby had gotten it.
"Alex, I feel so lost." Beth said, looking down at her bare feet. "He was everything I was looking for. Now he's gone. So suddenly, too...like Dad. It's almost worse than Mom."
"Yeah." Alex said quietly.
"I do go to see her, you know." Beth said unexpectedly. "On holidays." Alex blinked in surprise - her sister had never mentioned visiting their mother, so she'd assumed that Beth didn't go. She should have known better, though.
"Oh." Alex said.
"You're regressing into monosyllables." Beth said.
"Tired." Alex said with a small smile.
"Comfy bed, right here." Beth said, patting the bed besides her, and Alex hesitated only a moment before joining her sister. Despite Alex's professed tiredness, she didn't fall asleep as she and Beth sat on the bed, each lost in their own thoughts, but needing the company. Alex supposed this was the real reason she'd gone out and slept in Optimus' cab every night - he was a substitute for the comforting presence of her sister. An odd substitute, but it had worked. Now, though, Alex was glad to have her sister back.
---
The next few weeks were emotional for Alex and Beth, as they went to Josh's funeral - staying near the back, so as not to cause a scene with Christine - and then, at Beth's insistence, to the funerals for the drivers of the other two vehicles. The family of the older man who'd been in the car that had hit from behind were grateful for Beth's presence, telling her stories about their lost family member. At the end, one of the man's elderly sisters declared that he would have liked her, and Beth was then not required to leave until addresses and phone numbers had been exchanged.
The funeral for the truck driver was a tenser affair. Alex resisted Beth going right down to the second they set foot inside the funeral home, knowing that their reception would be iffy. Inside the funeral home, there were two distinct groups of people - one group was clearly the driver's family, while the other was a group of somewhat ragged early-20s kids who looked extraordinarily uncomfortable in their suits and neat dresses. Alex saw a few with large piercings or tattoos peeking out from under their clothes, and decided these must have been the driver's friends, who the family was not too pleased about him having. Alex just stood back and watched as Beth stood in the entrance, uncertain about the two groups, until one of the girls from the group of friends noticed her.
"Hi." she said quietly, coming over. Alex noticed several dull red marks on the girl's face where piercings had been removed for the occasion. "You're...Elizabeth Morgan, aren't you?" Beth nodded, seeming surprised. "I'm Tracy. I...was a good friend of Brent's." Tracy bit her lip and looked hesitant. "I'm kind of surprised you're here, considering." Beth shrugged.
"What's done is done." she said with a sigh. "I may not like it, but it can't be changed." Tracy nodded, then unexpectedly grabbed Beth's arm and pulled her over to the group of family members. Alex could see them tense as Tracy approached, and then saw their faces relax as the girl introduced Beth. Alex didn't get near Beth for the rest of the funeral - she was absorbed by first the family, and then both family and friends. Brent, the driver, had apparently been estranged from his family because of the friends he'd been keeping - but Beth walked in there, a complete stranger, and got the two groups to talk. Probably only because it was the man's funeral, to be sure, but it made Alex smile to see her sister's soothing ways in action - and to see the experience ease the grief of all parties involved.
After the funerals, Beth and Alex remained in the house for a few days, simply recovering, before Alex decided they needed to get out and do something. Beth somewhat willingly let herself be dragged out into the backyard, but about ten feet away from Cliffjumper, she dug in her heels and stopped short.
"Wha...buh?" Beth said intelligently, and Alex glanced back questioningly to see her sister staring at Cliffjumper - in car mode - with wide eyes. Alex sighed. Beth had finally realized they were riding around in a Porsche.
"What?" Alex asked, trying to play clueless as she let go of her sister's arm and headed for the car. "It's just the car."
"Just the...where the hell did you get a Porsche?!" Beth managed in a high-pitched squeak. "And why are you just leaving it out in the driveway?"
"It's a long story, and nobody would be able to steal this thing if they tried." Alex replied, trying to avoid the conversation that she still didn't know how to approach. "Come on."
"Nuh-uh. I want to hear this long story!" Beth insisted.
"Can't it wait until af-" Alex was cut off by Cliffjumper's horn. Both sisters jumped.
"Just tell her." Cliffjumper's voice was loud in the silence.
"Um." Beth said, giving the car a wide-eyed look, obviously wondering who was inside it.
"You tell here, if you're so eager." Alex retorted.
"Um, do you have a boyfriend hidden in there or something, Alex?" Beth asked nervously. Alex looked down at Cliffjumper and snickered. The car made a 'harrumph' noise.
"Fine, but not here." Alex said, realizing neither Cliffjumper nor Beth were going to let her get out of this, and the Porsche's doors popped open. Beth squeaked and took a step backwards. Alex walked over to her sister and physically led her to the car, then had to all but push Beth inside, and slam the door before she could crawl back out.
"I thought humans liked this particular model." Cliffjumper rumbled as Alex got in the driver's side, and Beth's eyes were wide as she frantically looked around for the source of the voice.
"It's the car, Beth." Alex said with a sigh as Cliffjumper started his engine and backed out of the driveway.
"What?" Beth asked, focusing her almost wild eyes on Alex.
"The car. It's the one talking? It's also the one driving, you'll notice." Alex said patiently, motioning to the wheel, which was turning by itself. Beth's eyes got even wider...and then rolled back into her head as she fainted.
"Wow. That was bad." Cliffjumper commented after a long pause.
"As if Optimus did any better with me." Alex retorted.
"He was being attacked. All you had to do was explain why you had a Porsche." Cliffjumper pointed out.
"Shut up." Alex said, sulking. "Or I'll convince Optimus to run you over." Cliffjumper wisely shut up.
Unsurprisingly, they ended up at the lookout, Optimus pulling in behind them, and Alex hauled her unconscious sister out of the car and lightly slapped her face until she woke up - and promptly started screaming. Alex jerked backwards in surprise, and landed on a robotic foot. She glared up at the robot-form of Cliffjumper.
"You're not helping!" she said, and Cliffjumper grumbled a bit before backing off. Alex swore she heard Optimus chuckle. "Not a word." she said, narrowing her eyes at the truck, whose radio immediately began playing an innocent-sounding tune. Alex sighed, putting her head in her hands, then turned back to her sister, who had finally stopped screaming and was staring at Cliffjumper wide-eyed.
"Beth. Beth! Elizabeth Anne Morgan!" Alex said, trying to snap her sister out of it, and succeeding on the final try.
"Robot." Beth said weakly, pointing to Cliffjumper.
"Yeah, his name's Cliffjumper." Alex said, glancing over at him. He gave a little wave, knowing he was being introduced. Beth stared at him, and then slowly blinked, her eyes sliding over to Optimus.
"How..." she frowned, then her eyes snapped over to Alex and narrowed dangerously. "Explain. NOW!" she hissed. Alex quickly complied, recognizing the Morgan family toughness from personal experience, and knowing it meant she was in danger of bodily injury.
"So...your truck is a giant alien robot, and so's the Porsche we've been driving around, which we've only been driving around because your truck told him to, since he's the leader of a whole bunch of alien robots that look like normal vehicles." Beth summarized once Alex was finished. They were both sitting on the ground now, with Optimus transformed and also sitting, though Cliffjumper evidently preferred to stand - right behind Alex, making her jump every time he made a noise.
"Pretty much." Alex replied.
"So what, are you really out having midnight chats with him whenever you supposedly go out to sleep in the cab?" Beth asked, giving her sister a weird look, and Alex saw the other question that Beth was not about to voice with Optimus sitting a few dozen feet away.
"No, I'm actually sleeping." Alex said, shaking her head at her sister and putting extra emphasis on the last word. Beth gave her another odd, suspicious look. Alex almost exclaimed in Gaelic that she was in no way having kinky robot sex with her truck, but she knew Optimus would be able to translate it. So she tried to glare away her sister's suspicions. She could enforce her claim later verbally.
"How did you even find all this out?" Beth asked, apparently deciding to drop the topic for now.
"Uh, remember that accident I was in? Yeah, not an accident." Alex said wryly, and explained her first true meeting with Optimus. Beth was convulsing with silent laughter by the time Alex finished, proving Alex's suspicion that their dad would have found Optimus stalking her entertaining, since Beth and he had shared a sense of humor.
"You...rock!" Beth managed to gasp out between convulsions, pointing at Optimus. Tears were forming in her eyes now from the strength of her laughter.
"Glad you find my paranoia so funny." Alex said with a sulk. She whipped her head around to glare at Cliffjumper as she heard a slight chuckle from him, too. When she turned back to Beth, her sister had abruptly calmed herself, and was sitting upright on the ground again. Alex eyed her suspiciously. Beth sat, straight-faced, for several moments, before a snicker escaped. She straightened her face again and held out for another few moments.
"Dad would be so proud!" Beth said before she collapsed again in silent laughter.
"Will she be alright?" Cliffjumper asked with mild concern as Beth continued to convulse on the ground, sticking his head over Alex to get a closer look at the laughter woman on the ground.
"Unfortunately." Alex growled.
---
"Having a good night?" Mikaela asked with amusement a few days later as Alex stomped into the coffee shop where the girl had a summer job. There was no one else in the shop, it didn't have cameras, and she'd taken a taxi to it, so Alex felt completely safe in blowing her top, going on about how her sister found the Autobots entertaining, and was enjoying teasing Alex about Optimus stalking her and thought that Alex was now having kinky robot sex with him.
"W-what?" Mikaela sputtered as Alex got to that point, staring at the older truck driver in disbelief.
"Exactly." Alex said, sulking.
"Your sister...thinks you and Optimus..." Mikaela couldn't even finish, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"I should've gone to Sarah." Alex said, still sulking.
"Well, y'know, he is sort of the tall and mysterious kind." Mikaela said, pulling her hand away from her mouth to reveal a wide grin.
"Yep, Sarah." Alex groaned.
---
It didn't take long after that for Alex to remember why she'd so eagerly left to go trucking when her dad had died. Even while grieving for Josh, Beth was far too cheerful and girly for her, and was driving Alex crazy, especially since they were both around the house all day while Beth recovered. Four times, Alex declared should couldn't handle it anymore and stalked out to Optimus, but he refused to let her start his engine. He was firmly of the opinion that she was to stay with her sister until Beth was fully recovered. He even drove off and left her for a week after she'd put a dent in his door the third time.
Cliffjumper certainly wasn't helping, either. He got along wonderfully with Beth, claiming to find her refreshing. And somewhere along the line, Beth had voice her opinions to him about what Alex and Optimus really did when Alex slept out in the cab, and the Porsche Autobot kept slipping in innuendos when talking to Alex. Alex spent a lot more money on taxis after he started that. Optimus was, thankfully, blissfully ignorant to the reason Alex refused to ride in Cliffjumper unless absolutely necessary, and why she now snuck in and out of his cab only while Beth was asleep.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Alex, the doctor took off the last of Beth's bandages and announced her fit for duty. Alex didn't even mind the ride back to the house in Cliffjumper, glowing happily at the thought of finally escaping.
"I guess I have to go back to work now." Beth said mournfully as the two of them entered the house.
"Me too!" Alex said gleefully, but her glee vanished as she caught sight of Beth's face. "Aw, Beth..." she said with a sigh, and Beth smiled sadly at her.
"It's been nice having you back here." she said. "I don't think...I couldn't have dealt if you hadn't been here the day of the accident."
"I would've been here as fast as I could when I found out, Beth. You wouldn't have had to go through this alone, even if I'd been up in Canada." Alex said softly.
"Thanks." Beth said, and gave her sister a hug. "But I know you're eager to get back out on the road with your giant robot lover." Alex let out a cry of outrage, and the two proceeded to chase each other around the house, chucking anything suitable at each other's heads as Alex tried to deny the accusation, and Beth sang elementary school songs about Alex and Optimus kissing. Which inevitably led to: "How do you even manage that? His mouth is like the size of your head. Gives a whole new meaning to sucking face." Alex eventually gave in and just sat at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her knees to her chest and refusing to move as she glared balefully at Beth anytime she was within sight. Beth went up to bed laughing, and Alex waited for half an hour before finally moving, heading up to her own room.
Alex left the next morning before Beth got up, wanting to avoid either a teary goodbye or more cracks about her and Optimus. Beth got in one last shot, though, as Alex found a crayon picture taped to the inside of the front door, showing her and Optimus, in his robot form, standing happily side by side - almost to scale - with a giant pink heart around them, along with stars and bunny rabbits. Alex didn't even want to know where her sister had gotten the crayons from, or when she'd drawn it. Alex just turned the picture over and scribbled a return drawing with a pencil, depicting her driving Optimus happily around in Asia, while Beth and Cliffjumper bopped each other with squeaky hammers in the States. She even put in the sound effects. Taping it to the fridge, Alex left, climbing into Optimus and finally being allowed to head down to the depot.
"Alex! Haven't seen you in a while! Your sister's better?" George greeted her when she pulled up.
"Unfortunately." Alex said wryly, and George chuckled. "Please tell me there's a trailer that needs to go to the other side of the world."
"Not quite, but there's one needing to get to Vancouver." he said.
"Perfect!" Alex declared, and quickly acquired its location and headed off.
It took about two days for Alex to start missing Beth, and Optimus noticed almost straight away. It wasn't all that hard - Alex abruptly flipped off the radio and spent the next mile staring morosely ahead, driving lethargically. In keeping with their usual friendship while on the road, though, Optimus said nothing - the only way Alex could tell that he noticed was that he suddenly took over driving. She drew back, letting him steer as she looked out her window at the passing landscape.
"I miss the annoying little irritant." Alex said after a moment.
"Elizabeth?" Optimus guessed, and Alex nodded. There was a pause. "You have a cellular phone."
"She's at work." Alex replied. There was another short stretch of silence, and then the radio flipped on to a soft rock station. Optimus drove the rest of the day, and that night Alex had a two hour conversation with Beth on a hotel phone.
